Ornamental button covering



May 12, 1953 W. SILVER ORIIAMEIIITALv BUTTON COVERING Filed May ll, 1950IN VEN TOR. WALTER SILVER Patented May 12, l19573 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an ornamentalbutton covering.

More particularly, thepresent invention proposes an ornamental buttoncovering which is to be mounted on one of the buttons of a shirt frontwhen a bow tie is Worn rather than a tie of the four-in-hand type orwhen no tie is worn as in the case of a sport shirt.

Another object of the present invention proposes characterizing theornament by a hollow casing having a -front wall the front face of whichis suitably ornamented by suitable engraving, embellishing and/orinitials to have a decorative effect when worn on a shirt front.

A further object of the present invention proposes forming the back wallof the casing with a suitable opening in a manner to permit the ornamentto be quickly and easily engaged with and disengaged from the button ofa shirt front.

Still further, the present invention proposes forming the opening intheback wall of the casing in such a manner that the ornament will t thestandard buttons of the conventional street shirt and yet be also usablewith the larger buttons commonly used on sport shirts.

In accordance with various modifications of the present invention, it isproposed to provide the interior of the hollow Acasings with springsarranged in a manner to grip or otherwise retain the buttons in positionwithinthefopenings sc as to prevent accidental disengagement andpossible-loss ofthe ornament from the shirt front.

It is a further object ofthe present invention to construct ornamentalbutton coverings which are simple and'durable and which can bemanuiactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had te the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming amaterial part of the presentdisclosure:

Fig. 1 is a front view of an ornamental button covering in accordancewith the present invention in position on a shirt front.

Fig; 2 is an enlarged front oi 'the button covering.` f

3 is a' rearelevatifonal view of Fig. 2;,"` Fig. 4 is an enlargedlongitudinal sectionalview taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, but withtheparts' as they appear when mountedjon a shirthbuttonthe button and a.portionuoi' theshirt being' perspective view sho'wn'in dot anddashlines. l.

Fig. 5 is a rear perspective view of an ornamental button coveringconstructed in accordance with a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 6-6of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse sectional View taken on the line 'I-lof Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating ythe buttoncovering constructed in accordance with a still further modification ofthe present invention.

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10` is an enlarged partial transverse sectional view taken on theline Ill-I0 oi Fig. 8.

The ornamental button covering, according to the rst form of the presentinvention shown in Figs. l to 4, includes a hollow casingv I5 and inFig. 1 is shown mounted on one of the buttons I5 of a mans shirt I'I.

The hollow casing I5 is comprised of a front wall I8 which has its frontface suitably ornamented as illustrated at I9 most clearly in Fig. 2.The ornamentation may be made by engraving or otherwise embellishing thefront face of the front wall I8 and may or may not include initials ofthe wearer.

Disposed behind the front wall I8, there is a back wall 20 which has itsedge portions bent forward and secured to the rear face of the frontwall I8, as by welding or braising or in any other known manner. Theconstruction permits the front wall I8 to be formed of a precious metaland the back wall 2B to be formed of one of thev less expensive metalsenabling the button covering to be manufactured and sold at a morereasonable price than if the entire casing were to be formed of preciousmetal.

The back wall 2i) is formed with an opening 2| which is comprised of anenlarged end portion 2 la and a reduced end portion 2lb. The enlargedend portion 2la is of a size to permit the passage therethrough of thesmaller buttons of the conventional street shirt and the larger buttonscommonly used on sport shirts, so that the one ornament can be used oneither street shirts or sport shirts. The reduced end portion 2|b is ofa width to accommodate the threads which secure the button to the shirtfront without in any way cutting or damaging those threads with `Locatedwithin the hollow casing i5 there is,

resilient means for retaining the button in position with its threadslocated at the outer end of the reduced end portion 2|b of the opening2| so as to retain the ornament fixedly in position on the button withwhich it is engaged. That resilient means comprises a piece of flatexible material, preferably metal, forming a spring 22 positionedagainst the inside face of the bach wall and which has its end portions22e bent to bear against the .inside face o f the front wall 8 so as toretain the spr-ing 22 against the i nsicle face of thatback Wall 2i).

The manner of mounting the ornamental but? ton covering on the button ofa shirt il is as follows:

The button |6 upon which that ornament is to be mounted is selected andthat button lis inserted into the interior of the hollow casing I5through the enlarged end portion 2|a of the opening 2| in the hack wall2i? of the casing. Insertion of the button I5 presses the spring 22 awayin the modification ofthe eil-,veneer illustrate@ in Fiss. 5 te 7, theornamental button .Gere-.fine is -comprised'of'a'hollow casing 25 havingv a front wall 26 haying an ornamented front face, `not shown.Positioned behind the front avail 2.8, there is a hack Wall 2,1 whichhas its edge portions henttdward and secured to the hackface ofthe'iront wall 25.

'lheback'ivall 2 1 at one ,end thereof is ltermed with 'en `eme/11. leeee-eine 128 .ef reefbeneulel Oei.- line 'rei' the neen-ee 0f the hebbengeen whieh'the ornamentistobe'mounted.

The enlarged .Opening 23 eentfumee -inie e Smaller opening .2 9 whichhas et its end remote frein .the enlereed'epenins en @turned elidnel'-tion '1 2S. When .the button i.S being passed .threaten .the emerged.Opening '28, the threads -wV` oh securethat button'in position -on .theshirt will'pass'through theopening 2 5 until theyare vertically alignedwith the up'turned end yportion 233%. The hollow casing 2521s ,thenpressed .doit/jh r were relative te the .buiten te leeete vtheliereedein'iheiep .end of the lanterne@ ene Defienfe Se .that :theepeoinel22`-e11dite @turned ene portion 2 9 function'in the nature o f ahook for securely retaining the ornament in position on the button.

Located within the hollow [casing 25`there is a spring '-30 of flattenedU.shap e and Vsiiniiar'in function to the spring 2 2 o the istform ofthe invention. The spring Sil ismade yof ,a piece `of ilexible materialand is in facial contact with the inside iace o f the rear wall 2l andhas end portions e bent to contact the inside face o i the front Wall26., see Figs. .6 and 7.

Thef'urtl'ierI inodiication of the invention illustrated-in Figs. lgtol0 is comprised ,of Ya hollow casing-135 having a iront fqealll `the`front lface, not shown, of which is suitably ornamentali. Positionedbehind the front Wall 36,there i5 a r`co.- eXtensive jbaek wall'i havingedge portions along three sideshent'toyvard and secured to thebaclfzface of the front wall 3 5. Those .edge portions ofthe-back Wall l3'.'forma top Wall 3'8. one .end wall 39 and a `bottom Wall 4,0. .lhe .endVof the hollow casing 35, reniotefrom vthe end Wall 4 is open to receivethe button of the shirt upon which the ornament is to be mounted.

The back Wall 31 is formed with an opening 4| to receive the threadswhich secure the button to the shirt front. The opening 4| extends infrom the end of the back wall 31 adjacent the open end of the casing 35and is shaped to include an enlarged end portion or recess 4| 1 at theopen end o f the casing 35. T he enlarged end portion or recess 4|acontinues into an intermediate portion or slot 4|b which in turncontinues at its inner end into an upturned end portion dla. While thebutton is being passed into .the .illifroi of the hollow casing 35, theenlarged end portion or recess 1|a of the opening 4| guides the threadsof the button into the intermediate portion or slot I Hb so that thethreads can be passed through that intermediate portion or slot 4|!)linto vertical alignment with the upturned end portion 4 Ic. Then thecasing 35 can be urged downward with relation to the button to engagethe threads in the top end of the upturned 4end portion 4 le of theopening 4|.

Located within the casing 35 there is yresilient means for restrictingthe intermediate portion or slot Mb o f the opening ,1li so as to retain'the threads of the button in engagement with ithe upturned end portionllc'of the Opening. The resilient means comprises a piece of spring wire5 2 bent to the shape illustrated in Fig. 8. The spring wire 42 has oneend 23 secured in posi; tion within the junction of the-back. wall 3i'and theend wall 33 immediately adjacentthe bottom Wall 46 hy` theWelding indicated at .43 in Fig. 9. Intermediate of its ends the spr-ingwire 42 has a V- shaped `portion 21? extended partially across theintermedie@ Dertien@ slet 4H of the open: ing 4| vimmediately adjacentthe upturned V end portion 4|?, as shown iii-Fig. 8.

The otheryend 42C `of the spring wire 42 is reteieee by Ineens .O f ebleek yli .and Slides in e channel 45, see particularly Fig, 1Q, betweenthe adjacent vfaces `of the block and the back wall 3l'. The resiliencyof the spring Wire #'Z retains the other end-(lle in contact with theinside-face of the top ,wall 3 8. The block 44 -is `welded or secured inposition in any other manner at -the junction of the` iront -wall 3,6and lthe top wall 3S, as shown in Fig. lO.

The construction is such thatas the threads of the button are passingfrom the intermediate portion or slot 4|b into the upturned portion W efthe Opening 4l 0r from 'the upturned portion 4|c into the intermediateportion o r slot 4|", those threads inust `pass the V-shaped portion 421.of the .spring wire 4 2. If suilicient pressure is applied duringmounting the ornament -in position on the shirt -button or removing ittherefrom, the spring Wire 42 ywill be flexed so that the V-shapedportion A42h will move out of the way of the threads; however, thespring wire 42 will immediately snap `lhack to its normal position to'function to retainthe threads Within the 'upturned .end portion 4| ofythe opening 4|.

v`The particular `portirgri ,of attachment o f the end .42a of the4Serine Wire '.42 en@ the restriction of the end 42C to'slidingmovements in Channel 4.5 alle .95.5611191211 t9 .rif-Pein @le SPlg e 4.2in eenteet with .the inside ieee 0f the beek wall 3'1 and .S0 that thebep portion ef the blittenwllrde over the Yfehaped Atemen Y4h11 efihespriue wire e0 that the iihreefde ef the brie t0n eanbe engaged bythe Y-.ehaped portieri making the spring effective for its intendedpurposes.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges `and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdened in the appended claim. r

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

In an ornament for a button, the combination which comprises asubstantially hollow, box-like casing having a bottom, top, back, and afront wall and one end wall, one end of said casing being open, saidback wall having an arcuate recess in the end thereof positioned attheopen end of the casing and having a longitudinally disposed centrallypositioned slot extended from the recess to a point positioned midway ofthe length of the casing, the said slot having an upturned end portionat the end thereof positioned midway of the length of the casing, aspring wire in the casing and having an arcuate section extended fromthe lower corner of the closed end of the casing upwardly over the saidupturned end portion of the slot and downwardly whereby the vertex of aV-shaped section thereof extends below the upper edge of the slot toprevent accidental displacement of a button positioned in the casing,and said spring wire extended from the V-shaped section to the innersurface of the top wall of the casing, and a block nested in the cornerbetween the top wall and front wall of the casing for retaining the endof the spring Wire extended from the V-shaped section in position.

WALTER SILVER.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 690,277 Hatfield Dec. 31, 1901 1,172,703 Grooms Feb. 22, 19161,520,395 Becker Dec. 23, 1924 1,779,125 Gill et al. Oct. 21, 1930

